Romania's black cigarette market stood at 8.3 percent of the total consumption this September, in line with the previous months, but higher compared to the 2022 average of 7.1 percent, shows a survey by Novel Research."In September 2023, the black market remains steady in almost all the regions of the country. Among the new elements worth mentioning for September's survey is the inclusion of Bulgaria among the main sources of smuggled tobacco products. With a share of 16.8 percent and an upward trend in the last year, Bulgaria is third in place as regards smuggled tobacco products, after duty-free outlets and cheap whites. Also, the survey carried out in the last months no longer identified cigarettes smuggled from Ukraine. There is a downward trend in the share of products from Moldova (7.6 percent), while Serbia is constant," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu in a press release on Wednesday.Citing data on the platform StopContrabanda.ro, BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru said that year-to-date, the Romanian authorities have captured about 105 million contraband cigarettes, more than double the amount in the same period last year.Head of the Romanian Customs Authority Ion Cupa said that 10 million illegal cigarettes were discovered in a recent raid carried out in the counties of Suceava and Teleorman, during which customs inspectors provided specialist assistance alongside representatives of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Organized Crime Directorate, the Directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes, and the Border Police General Inspectorate.In 2022, tobacco companies funnelled about 20 billion RON to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions.
Moldova will not compete in the Eurovision 2025 song contest. The decision was made "following a detailed analysis of the current situation, as well as economic, administrative, and artistic challenges," the organizers stated. The announcement was made on Wednesday, January 22, by the director of the national television Moldova 1, Corneliu Durnescu, and the head […]
Low-cost airline Wizz Air said that it continues its expansion at the Sibiu base with the allocation of a second aircraft in the summer of 2025, bringing the total number of aircraft in Romania to 33. The company will thus increase capacity in the Transylvanian city by adding over 320,000 seats, a 58% increase compared […]
The renovation and rehabilitation work on Romania's famous Constanța Casino is in its final stages, and the historic building may already host its first major event in March. The Casino is set to officially open to the public in the spring. Set for 2022, the official opening was delayed due to unforeseen problems, doubling the […]
Creating a website can often feel like a challenging task, especially for those without programming or design experience. To meet the needs of a growing market, Andrei-Fredy Crăciun created Loopple AI, a platform that allows users to build fully functional websites in less than a minute with the help of artificial intelligence – no technical […]
Romania will set up and operate its first fish farms in the Black Sea this year, as announced by environment minister Mircea Fechet, with certain areas already assigned for future farms. Investments are long overdue, as discussions about fish farms in the Black Sea have been ongoing for decades in Romania, while similar investments have […]
Monica Tamaș has been appointed general manager of Unilever Romania and Moldova beginning January 2025. She will oversee the local strategy and investment initiatives "aimed at optimizing Unilever's performance within the Home Care, Beauty and Personal Care, and Nutrition sectors across Romania and Moldova." Tamaș joined Unilever Romania in 2013, following roles in leading FMCG […]
